Locking device for loose-leaf binders



March 31, 1931. LOTTER 1,798,478

LOOKING DEVICE FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Original Filed Nov. 4, 1929 Ada h? Alia/151 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADOLPH G. LOTTER, OF MILVIAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T STATIONERS LOOSE LEAF CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

A CORPORATION OF WI$CONSIN LOCKING, DEVICE non Loose-LEAF nrnnnns Application filed November 4, 1929, Serial No. 404,679.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in loose leaf blnders and has as an ob ect the provision of an 1mproved key-controlled attachment for preventing unauthorized manipulation of a binder and the removal or insertion of sheets therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved key-controlled locking dew vice for loose leaf binders which may be ap-' plied to loose leaf binders now in use without requiring any structural changes therein.

And a further object of this invention resides in the provision of an attachment for loose leaf binders consisting of a locking plate having a key-controlled lock member, adapted to be readily applied to visible record binders of the type illustrated in Letters Patent No. 1,727,348, issued September 10, 1929.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end of the center portion or back ofa visible record binder having my improved attachment applied thereto;

Figures 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, with parts in section and parts in elevation, taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 52-12; and

Renewed February 9, 1931.

bers 7 and longitudinally and sidewise movable plate members 8 mounting cooperating impaling prongs or ring members 9.

The ring-carrying plates are held in normal closed position, as illustrated in Figure 1, against sidewise movement to separate the cooperating prong ends, by a locking bar 11 having lugs 12 adapted for engagement behind a guide stud 13 and a substantially keyhole shaped opening 1 1, in the small end 15 of which lugs or tongues 16 carried by the members 8 are engageable. The locking lugs 16 When engaged in the small end 15 of the opening 14: hold the plates 8 against lateral movement to separate the prongs and thus retain the loose leaves in the binder.

The plate members 8 are held against longitudinal movement with respect to each other when the prongs or rings are closed, by hand-engaging projections or actuating members 17 carried by the platemembers and engaging within recesses 18 in the end flange 19 of the center piece 6. The lugs 12 serve to prevent accidental shifting of the locking bar 11 by engaging behind the guide stud 13 andas the operation and construction of the binder illustrated is shown and fully described in said Letters Patent No. 1,727,348, reference may be had thereto for details of construction.

In Figure 3 is illustrated the improved attachment forming the subject matter of this invention, and whereby shifting of the looking bar 11 from its position locking the binder in its closed position is prevented. The de v e c n t of a p te 2 having' p r res 21 in its ends of a diameter and spaced to receive the actuating members 17 as illustrated in Figure 1, there being a vertical flange 22 along the central inner marginal edge portion of the plate to mount a lock device carried by an escutcheon 23 which is riveted to the plate as at 24.

The lock device consists of a cylinder 25 adapted to be actuated by a proper key 26 and having a tail piece or cam member 27 fixed to a drive lug 28, eXtended through the flange 22. The cam is of approximately right-angular shape to provide a locking lug 29 adapted to be moved to and from a position under the free end portion 30 of the locking bar 11. when in its locked position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The lug 29 prevents the depression of the locking bar free end to disengage the lugs 12 from the stud 13 and release the bar for movement to its unlocked position permitting separation of the binder rings, rotational movement of the locking lug 29 being limited by stops 31 projecting from the flange 22.

The manner of applying my improved locking attachment is as follows.

The binder is first moved to its normal position illustrated in Figure 1 and the locking bar shifted upwardly with respect to Figure 1 so that the lugs 12 engage behind the stud 13 where they are maintained by the normal resiliency of the bar and an expansile spring 33 coiled about the stud 13. The locking device with the tail piece or locking cam is then engaged over the actuating members 17 and key 26 manipulated to rotate the cam and position the angular locking lug 29 under the free end 30 of the locking bar 11 in which position it is held until released by the proper key 26.

It will thus be apparent that with the locking attachment in place manipulation of the bar 11 to release the plates 20 for separation. is impossible, and of course separation of the ring-carrying plates is doubly prevented by locking of the lugs 16 and of the actuating members 17.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a loose leaf binder consisting of relatively movable prongcarrying slides having hand-engaging projections for facilitating the manipulation thereof, of a lock device engageable over the projections to prevent relative movement of 1 the slides, and key-actuated means carried by the device for preventing unauthorized removal thereof. 7

2. A locking device for loose leaf binders of the type having relatively movable ring-carrying members, consisting of a plate engageable with the ring-carrying members to secure the same against relative movement, and locking means carried by said plate and engageable with a binder-carried part to prevent its removal.

3. The combination with a loose leaf binder consisting of relatively movable prongcarrying slides and movable means for preventing manipulation of the prong-carrying slides, of a lock device having a part engage able with said movable means to prevent its movement to aposition releasing the prongcarrying slides for manipulation, and said means being key-controlled to prevent unauthorized removal. thereof.

4:. The combination with a loose leaf binder consisting of relatively movable prongcarrying slides having hand-engaging projections for facilt-ating manipulation thereof and a movable member adapted to secure the prong-carrying slides against manipulation, of a readily detachable lock device for engaging the hand-engaging projections and the movable member to prevent manipulation of the prong-carrying slides, and key-controlled means carried by said lock device for preventing unauthorized removal thereof.

5. The combination with a loose leaf binder consisting of relatively movable prongcarrying slides and a movable member for securing the prong-carrying slides against relative movement, of a readily detachable lock device. said lock device having a cooperating engagement with the prong-carrying slides and said movable member, and one of said cooperating engagements being key-controlled and holding the lock device against removal.

6. The combination with a loose leaf bind er consisting of separable prong-carrying slides and a movable member for securing the prong-carrying slides against separation, said movable member requiring an initial movement in one direction and a subsequent movement in another direction to release the prong-carrying slides for separation, of a locking device, cooperating means carried by the prong-carrying slides and the locking device for readily detachably connecting the locking device with the prong-carrying slides to hold the same against separation, said locking device including key-controlled means engageable with the movable member to prevent initial movement thereof in said one direction and to hold the locking device 1 against removal.

7. A locking device for loose leaf binders of the type having relatively movable prongcarrying members, consisting of a plate having a cooperating engagement with the prong-carrying members to prevent relative movement therebetween, and key-controlled means carried by said plate and engageable with a binder-carried part to prevent removal of the locking device.

8. A locking device for loose leaf binders of the type having relatively movable prongcarrying members provided with actuating members, consisting of a plate having apertures engageable with the actuating members and key-controlled means for actuating said locking lug.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ADOLPH G. LOTTER. 

